Game apparatus



H. s. KENNEY. GAME APPARATUS.

(Nb M60161.

No. 409,977. Patented Aug. 27, 1889 gmvewtoz $3M; mt-OMW UNITED STATES PATENT a QFFICEQ HENRY S. KENNEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 409,977, dated August 2'7, 1889.

Application filed February 20, 1889- Serial No. 300,566. (No model To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY S. KENNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a game which may be played by two, three, or four players, as desired, which will allow them to be seated while playing, and which is compact and portable, the features of the invention being hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a game embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 represents a sectional view on line m as, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a piece of cloth or other material forming the field on which the game is played and which is rested upon a table or the like. The field has a border or limit line B, of an oval or circular configuration, acting as a stop to prevent the balls from rolling oif. At the four sides of the field are four circles C, upon which the balls D of the player are placed, the same being of four different colors and the circles of colors corresponding with said balls. These circles form what is termed the homes of the players, and it will be seen that four homes are provided, and that they divide the field or surface-into quadrants E, F, G, and H. In each one of said quadrants are arranged four horseshoe or U shaped figures or devices J, which constitute the harbors or ports of each player, and these harbors or ports have their open ends diagonally arranged and presented thus to the players, and near the outer closed ends of the harbors or ports are pockets or openings K to receive the balls which enter their harbors. Two of the harbors in each of the quadrants are fortified by means of spots constituting forts L, the purpose of which will appear.

This being the construction of the appliance, the manner of playing the game is as follows: The balls are placed upon the homes, which are arranged to the left of the players, and the object of each player is to locate his four balls in the pockets of the four harbors diagonally opposite him, the first to do this winningthe game. To determine who shall begin the game, four of the balls are pooledthat is, one of each color, the color of the ball which gives first play being previously determined upon-and from these balls each player draws one, and the one drawing the ball of the color which has been decided upon begins the game. The players sit around the table according to the colors of the balls they draw. The first player places one of his balls upon a line between the forts guarding the second and fourth harbors of his quadrants and with the cue attempts to locate the ball in the first harbor of the quadrant diagonally opposite. If he succeeds in locating said ball, he is allowed two chances for the next harbor. If, however, he does not succeed, the ball remains where it has been shot. The next player to the left will then take his turn in like manner, except, if he desire, he may play upon the ball left on the field, and should he strike said ball he is allowed two chances to enter the first harbor. If he succeeds in entering said first harbor,

heis allowed two chances additional to enter the second harbor, which harbor being afortified one, he must express his intention of entering said harbor, when all the players will attempt to prevent the same, or, in other words, his ball will be subjected to a crossfire from the balls of each of the other players. If his ball is struck by one of the players, and thus prevented from entering the fortified harbor, said ball is removed from the field, and the fortunateplayer is allowed two chances (although it may not be his turn) of entering the first harbor, and after histurn the game continues in regular order to the left, unless interrupted in like manner, until one of the players has located his balls in the pockets of all his harbors, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A game-board having a field with a surrounding limit-line and provided in each quadrant thereof with U-shaped devices on said field, forming ports, the said ports having their openings toward the center of the field, and pockets or depressions in the field at the IOC inner ends of the ports, circles between the adjacent ports of each two contiguous quadrants, forming home-circles, said parts being combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A game-board having a field With a surrounding limit-line and provided with U- shaped devices in each quadrant thereof forming ports, the said devices '01 ports having openings toward the center of the field, pockets or depressions in the field at the inner end of the ports, spots on said field in front of the ports at the ends thereof representing forts, and circles on said board forming home-circles between the adjacent ports of each two contiguous quadrants, said parts being combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY S. KENNEY. WVitnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, A. P. JENNINGS.

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